Rack assembly for a front-opening dishwasher

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED RACK ASSEMBLY IN AN AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER OF THE TYPE HAVING A FRONT ACCESS OPENING TO AN INSIDE WASHING CHAMBER AND DISH SUPPORTING RACKS WHICH ARE SLIDABLY MOUNTED TO BE MANUALLY PULLED OUTWARDLY TO AN EXTENDED POSITION THROUGH THE ACCESS OPENING TO FACILITATE FRONT LOADING OF THE RACKS. THE RACK ASSEMBLY FOR THE DISHWASHER INCLUDES UPPER AND LOWER SPACED-APART OPEN FRAMEWORK DISH RACKS THAT ARE MOUNTED FOR INDEPENDENT SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE DISHWASHER&#39;&#39;S INSIDE WASHING CHAMBER. ONE OF THE DISH RACKS COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION THAT IS VERTICALLY FIXED RELATIVE TO THE RACK SUPPORT MEANS AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE AND REMOVABLE SECTIONS OR DISH RACK MODULES PROVIDED AT EACH SIDE OF THE INTERMEDIATE RACK SECTION.

Jan. 19, 1971 R. KAUFFMAN V 3,556,525

' RACK ASSEMBLY FOR A FRONT-OPENING DISHWASHER Filed A ril 17, 1969 y 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

MELVIN 'R KAUF'FMAN BY W .i'. v I

Hi5 ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 19 1 M. R. KAUFF'MAN 3,556,625

RACK ASSEMBLY FOR A FRONT-OBENING DISHWASHER Filed April 17, 1969 :5 Sheets-Sheet F'IG.3

INVENTOR. MELV! N R. KAUFF'MAN FW K HIS ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1971 M. R. KAUFFMAN 3,556,625

RACK ASSEMBLY FOR A FRONT-OPENING DISHWASHER Filed April 17, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 MELVIN R. KAUFFMAN BY W H \S ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofice 3,556,625 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 3,556,625 RACK ASSEMBLY FOR A FRONT-OPENING DISHWASHER Melvin R. Kautfman, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 816,987 Int. Cl. A47!) 88/00 US. Cl. 312301 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved rack assembly in an automatic dishwasher of the type having a front access opening to an inside washing chamber and dish supporting racks which are slidably mounted to be manually pulled outwardly to an extended position through the access opening to facilitate front loading of the racks. The rack assembly for the dishwasher includes upper and lower spaced-apart open framework dish racks that are mounted for independent substantially horizontal movement with respect to the dishwashers inside washing chamber. One of the dish racks comprises a plurality of sections including an intermediate section that is vertically fixed relative to the rack support means and vertically adjustable and removable sections or dish rack modules provided at each side of the intermediate rack section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to dishwashing machines of the type having a front opening for front loading and dish supporting racks which are movable substantially horizontally through the front access opening. More particularly, the invention pertains to an improved rack assembly for a front loading dishwasher which provides more effective use of available space within the washing chamber of the machine.

It is conventional in a front loading dishwasher machine to provide a pair of vertically spaced apart racks for supporting articles to be washed within the dishwashers washing chamber. Generally, the lower and upper racks each has a cross sectional area substantially equal to that of the horizontal cross section of the washing chamber and each is mounted to be independently slidable from its operating position within the wash chamber to a loading position where it extends horizontally outwardly from the front access opening of the machine. Generally the bottom rack is designed to receive and carry comparatively large articles for washing within the washing chamber while the top rack is positioned so that its open top is in close relation to the top wall of the dishwasher and is utilized for washing relatively small dishes and glassware. The fact that this general arrangement has been so widely adopted for use by the various manufacturers of dishwashers is evidence of its acceptance by the housewife as an advantageous means of distributing and supporting soiled tableware to be washed within a dishwasher. The conventional arrangement, however, does have certain limitations.

The arrangement of upper and lower spaced apart racks of substantially the same cross sectional area presupposes that the housewife will always have, in a typical wash load, only that number of large articles that will not exceed the capacity limitation of the lower rack, and as few small items such as cups and glassware as may be safely distributed in the upper rack. As a practical matter, however, the housewife often has a greater number of large comparatively cumbersome items to be washed than can be conveniently stored in the lower rack of a conventional dishwasher rack arrangement and she is therefore faced with the choice of either purposefully Cir overcrowding items into the lower rack or withholding some of the large items from the dishwasher and washing them separately at a later time. In view of this problem it would be desirable to have a dishwasher with a rack structure that could be conveniently rearranged in accordance 'with the number of larger items to be washed so that rack overcrowding or the need for subsequent wash loads could be avoided.

Another problem of the conventional rack arrangement relates specifically to the washing of smaller items such as cups and glassware, etc. in the dishwasher. The fact that front loading dishwashers have slide-out racks to facilitate loading does not obviate the requirement of a number of trips between table and dishwasher by the housewife to load the machine. Though large items such as plates can be conveniently stacked and carried from the table, this is not always true for smaller items. Cups and glassware either cannot be stacked or are particularly fragile and hence require comparatively gentle handling. It would be therefore extremely convenient and advantageous for the housewife if at least part of the rack arrangement within the dishwasher could be not only slid outwardly through the access opening of the dishwasher but be manually removed and carried to the table for loading of small fragile items.

Therefore, among the objectives of this invention is the provision of a rack arrangement that will provide rack rearrangement by the housewife in accordance with the size and number of larger items to be washed in the dishwasher, in combination with the provision of a rack assembly having removable modules to permit rack loading at a point distant from the dishwasher. Other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One form of the invention is an upper level rack construction in a dishwasher, including a horizontally disposed open framework that extends almost entirely over the cross sectional area of the washing chamber. The open framework constitutes a base for a plurality of separate racks or sections carried thereon, and slidable support means is provided at each side of the open framework for mounting it in movable relation to the opposed side walls of the washing chamber. A substantially large center rack or intermediate section that extends substantially from the front to the back of the washing chamber is attached in a fixed position on the open frame in an intermediate position with reference to the cabinet side walls. Removable vertically adjustable auxiliary racks or basket-like modules having substantially the same long dimension as the intermediate rack are provided to flank the intermediate rack on each side thereof. The auxiliary racks or modules are independently vertically adjustable with re spect to the fixed intermediate rack, and are carried, in their installed position, in removable attachment to the intermediate rack so that they are horizontally slidable in unison with the intermediate rack on the supporting frame therebeneath.

In another form of the invention, an upper rack construction is provided in a front-loading washing chamber including an intermediate rack that is movably carried on slidable support means suspended from the inside surface of the top wall of the dishwasher cabinet. The long dimension of the intermediate rack is substantially equal to the distance from the back to the front of the cabinet, with allowance for space at each side of the intermediate rack for removable vertically adjustable auxiliary racks or modules. Removable or releasable attachment means is provided at each side of the intermediate rack for suspending the modules thereon in a cantilever fashion. The cross-sectional area of the intermediate rack with the modules carried on each side thereof is substantially that of the cross-sectional area of the wash chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a front loading automatic dishwashing machine, illustrating substantially the upper half of the cabinet with the door removed and the bottom half of the cabinet cut away;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial front elevational view of a front opening dishwasher, shown with the door of the cabinet removed and substantially the lower half of the cabinet cut away, illustrating a second preferred form of our invention as compared to that which is shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, there is illustrated the upper portion of a front loading dishwasher cabinet having opposite side walls 11 and 12, a back wall 13 and a top wall 14, defining a substantially large washing chamber 17 within the cabinet 10. The front side of the cabinet is a substantially large door that, during the machines operation, covers a front access opening 18. The door (not shown) is hinged at its lower edge to enable it to be opened outwardly downwardly to a horizontal orientation with respect to the cabinet 10 to allow a slidably mounted lower dish supporting rack to he slid horizontally outwardly over the open door to facilitate loading of the dishwasher (neither the door nor the lower cabinet portion with its lower rack are shown in the drawings). In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the upper rack arrangement provided, as compared to the more conventional unitary upper rack structure, may be considered as comprising an intermediate rack section 45 carried on a slidably mounted open thick wire frame 40 and flanked by left and right vertically-adjustable removable auxiliary racks or rack modules or sections 55. The racks 55 are substantially identical and, with the intermediate rack 45, have a combined horizontal cross-sectional area approximately equal to that of the cross-sectional area of the washing chamber 17.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the frame 40 comprises a pair of spaced apart horizontally disposed frame members or side bars 39 interconnected by substantially rigid spaced apart cross members 41 extendin between and perpendicular to the side bars 39. Each cross member 41 has stub end portions 42 turned perpendicular to the cross member 41 to facilitate its attachment by welding to the side surface of one of the parallel side bars 39. The frame 40 is thereby formed in a substantially rectilinear plane configuration to support the rack 45 and the modules 55 thereon.

The frame 40 is supported along each side thereof by a slidable support means or roller assembly that provide the means by which the frame 40, with the intermediate rack 45 and the side modules 55 carried thereon, to be manually slid outwardly to extend through the access opening 18 of the cabinet 10 to facilitate loading of small tableware articles for washing. The roller assemblies 20 are positioned on the inside surface of opposite side walls 11 and 12 of the cabinet 10 and are substantially identical, with one being in reverse orientation to the other.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each roller assembly 20 includes a pair of spaced apart upper rollers 21 and 22 and spaced apart lower rollers 23 and 24, each rotatably mounted by means of a stub shaft (such as stub shafts 25 and 26 shown in FIG. 1) to the inside surface of the cabinet side wall. The rollers 21, 22, 23 and 24 are grouped on the side wall 11 toward the front of the cabinet 10 in a formation as though each roller Was the corner of a rectangle, and the upper rollers 21 and 22 are spaced from the lower rollers 23 and 24 such that a longitudinally elongated slide bar 29 may be positioned and carried by means of annular roller grooves, between the upper and lower rollers. The slide bar 29 is thereby mounted so as to be slidable outwardly in a horizontal plane to extend through the access opening 18 of the cabinet 10, and the aforementioned rollers are positioned such that when the slide bar 29 is in its extreme inward or outward position with respect to the washing chamber 17, it is held in cantilever suspension by the roller assemblies 20.

Slide bar 29 is provided with forward and rearward longitudinal openings or slots 30 and 31 along the length thereof. The slots 30 and 31 are positioned in horizontal alignment with respect to each other for the purpose of receiving and acting as horizontal trackways for spaced apart frame rollers 36 and 37. Each of the frame rollers 36 and 37 is rotatably mounted on the outside surface of one of the side bars 39 of the frame 40, by means of a stub shaft or roller axle (such as shaft 38 shown in FIG. 1) on which the roller is journalled. It should be noted that the slide bar 29 of the roller assembly 20 is provided at each end thereof, with a traversely widened end portion 34 which will act as a stop means to prevent the slide bar from being slid in either direction beyond its slidable attachment with its associated group of wall mounted rollers 21, 22, 23 and 24.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the intermediate rack 45 is constructed of heavy wire or rod-like members placed and joined by means of welds to assume a rigid web-like basket including a horizontal rack floor portion 46, a vertically disposed front fence and rear fence portions 47 and 48, and left and right side fence portions 49 and 50. The floor portion 46 of the intermediate rack 45 is joined to the cross members 41 of the frame by welds at the points where the rod-like members of the floor portion 46 cross and abut on the cross members 41. The intermediate rack is thus vertically fixed by its attachment to the frame 40. Means are provided on the side fence portions 49 and 50 for cantilever suspension of one of the rack modules on each side of the intermediate rack 45. For the latter purpose, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, small trough-like hooked members 54 are attached by means of welds at spaced apart locations along the top edge of the outer side of the side fence portions 49 and 50 of the intermediate rack 45.

Each of the left hand and right hand sections or rack modules 55 has an open top side and is preferably constructed of substantially heavy wire or rod-like members in a welded rigid web-like frame work with a sloped bottom portion 56, substantially long opposite side fence portions 57 and 58, and forward and rearward end fence portions 59 and 60. The inside area of each module 55 may be provided with vertically projecting spaced apart spikes 61 for partitioning the module lengthwise or for facilitating the placing of inverted glassware or similar items thereover.

The lefthand module 55 illustrated in FIG. 1 is in its intermediate vertical position, having the top horizontal rail of side fence 57 engaged in hooks 54 of the intermediate rack 45, with the lowermost rail of side fence 57 of the module 55 pressing against the lower part of side fence 49 of rack 45.

As illustrated in FIG. 72, sections of the horizontal intermediate side rails of module side fences 57 and 58 are cut away on both sides of the module 55 to provide openings 63 whereby the module 55 may be removed entirely from its attachment to the hooks 54 of the rack 45 and allowed to drop downwardly to rest with its side top rails resting on the spaced apart cross members '41 of the frame 40.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing, either of the modules 55 may be, by the construction shown, selectively adjusted in its vertical position with respect to the intermediate rack 45 from a low position as illustrated by the position of the righthand module 55 in FIG. 1 to a position wherein the top of the module 55 would be substantially above the top of the intermediate rack 45. The latter position, of course, would be accomplished by raising the module 55 upwardly and engaging an intermediate rail of side fence 57 of the module 55 in the spaced apart hooks 54 on one side of the intermediate rack 45, and this would result in having the horizontal lower side rail 58 resting against the outer side of the side fence 49 of rack 45 at a point near the vertical midpoint of the side fence 49. Also, either of the modules 55 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be completely removed from the cabinet 10 to facilitate loading at a location distant from the dishwasher.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, which illustrate another embodiment of this invention, like numerals are utilized to designate like components of a dishwasher where such components are substantially the same as those shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Therefore, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a dishwasher having a cabinet comprised of side walls 11 and 12, a top wall 14, and a back wall 13 defining a wash chamber 17 with a front access opening 18. In this embodiment, the rack arrangement situated in the upper area of the wash chamber 17 broadly comprises a middle or intermediate rack 45 with side rack sections or modules 55 hanging in cantilever suspension to each of the rack side fence portions 49 and 50. The intermediate rack 45 and its suspended modules 55 are constructed substantially as those illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 but in this embodiment the intermediate rack 45 is supported, for its horizontal sliding action with respect to the wash chamber 17, by

means of suspended slidable support means or roller assemblies 65 attached to the inside surface of the side fences 49 and 50 of the intermediate rack 45.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, each slidable support means or roller assembly 65 includes a rigid hanger plate 66 anchored by its upper end to the inside surface of the cabinets top wall 14 and protruding vertically downwardly into the washing chamber to provide a vertically disposed base on which is mounted a group of rollers, including upper rollers 67, 68 and lower rollers 69 and 70, each of which is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft (such as stub shafts 71 and 82 in FIG. 4). Each roller assembly 65 also includes a longitudinally elongated slide bar 73 that is slidably supported between the pair of upper rollers 67 and 68 and the pair of lower rollers 69 and 70. Each slide bar 73 is provided with rearward and forward slots 74 and 75 which serve as respective trackways for rack mounted rollers, such as rollers 80 and 82. Each of the rack mounted rollers is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft or roller axle, such as shaft 81, FIG. 4, that is fixedly attached to the inside surface of a side wall fence of the rack 45.

In this second embodiment of the invention, the means of supporting the modules 55 to each side of the rack 45 is modified to the extent that additional hooks 54 are provided in a vertically spaced apart relation as compared to the hooks 54 illustrated with reference to the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3. Such a hook arrangement as illustrated in FIG. 4 permits each module 55 on the side of the rack 45 to be repositioned downwardly relative to the rack 45 so that space is gained above the module whereby larger items to be washed may extend upwardly from and above the module without impinging against the inner surface of the cabinet upper wall 14.

In comparing the two presently preferred embodiments shown in the drawings (comparing FIG. 1 with FIG. 4) it will be noted that the suspended roller arrangement illustrated in FIG. 4 not only requires fewer parts for its construction but makes available two side areas that are unobstructed between the intermediate rack 45 and the chamber side walls when both the modules 55 are removed entirely from within the cabinet 10. Thus, large and cumbersome items can be conveniently stored along the inside side walls of the lower level rack (not shown) and be permitted to extend upwardly into the area vacated by removal of the modules 55 on each side of the rack 45 without interference of horizontal rack support members.

In either of the two embodiments shown in the drawings, it may be found desirable on each of the hooks 54 on the side fences 49 and 50 of the intermediate rack 45, to provide a notch 54a to receive a vertical side rail portion of the side fence 57 of the module 55, so that replacement and realignment of the module 55 in its proper position with respect to the intermediate basket 45 would be simplified. Inasmuch as the housewife-operator is likely, when desiring to slide the upper rack assembly outward through the cabinet access opening, to grasp the outer end of either of the modules 55 and pull outwardly, the provision of a notch 54a in each hook 54, to engage a vertical rail portion of the module 55, also assures that the entire upper rack assembly will slide smoothly outwardly as a unit.

This invention, in its broader aspects, would also be applicable for use in a top-opening dishwasher of the type wherein dish supporting racks are suspended for vertical movement in unison with the opening and closing of the top access door or cabinet cover. For example, the concept of removable, vertically adjustable side rack modules depended to an intermediate rack may be adapted for use with a rack assembly similar to the assembly described in US. Pat. No. 3,087,769, issued to Lauren W. Guth, on Apr. 30, 1963, and assigned to the General Electric Company, the assignee of the present invention. Guths swinging rack section, which is pivoted to the cover of the dishwasher whereby the rack will rise out of the machine as the cover is opened, could be constructed as an intermediate rack section of a size allowing space on either side or at its front edge for provision of a removable module that is in dependent attachment to the rack section and vertically adjustable thereto.

As will be evident from the claims appended hereto, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the embodiments described heretofore or to the particular details of construction of the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a front loading dishwasher of the type having a washing chamber and an access opening therefor, dish supporting racks mounted for limited movement from the washing chamber and outward, for loading and unloading, through the chambers access opening, an improved rack assembly, comprising:

(a) an intermediate upper rack located in the upper portion of the Washing chamber and extending substantially the entire distance from the front to the back of the washing chamber,

(b) auxiliary upper racks disposed one to either side of said intermediate rack and the area occupied by all of upper racks is substantially equal to the horizontal cross sectional area of the washing chamber.

(c) slidable support means for all of said racks permitting substantially horizontal movement of said racks as a unit through the access opening,

(d) said intermediate rack being in fixed attachment on said support means, and

(e) adjustable attachment means permitting selective vertical repositioning of said auxiliary racks relative to said intermediate rack.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said slidable support means is mounted to the washing chamber side walls.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein said slidable support means includes an open frame disposed generally horizontally in the washing chamber, and said intermediate rack is fixedly attached thereto.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said slidable support means is mounted to the washing chamber top wall.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for realigning each of said auxiliary racks in the same vertical plane with respect to said intermediate rack when either of said auxiliary racks is removed entirely from the dishwasher and then replaced for use in the washing chamber.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1, 'wherein said adjustable attachment means comprises means for removably attaching each of said auxiliary racks to the side wall of said intermediate rack.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said adjustable attachment means is a plurality of hooks integral to the side wall of said intermediate rack for suspending each of said auxiliary racks thereto in cantilever suspension.

8. In a dishwasher of the type including a cabinet having top, bottom, and side walls, and an access opening in one of the walls leading to a washing chamber, an improved rack assembly for supporting articles to be Washed in the washing chamber, comprising:

(a) at least one dish supporting rack, support means provided in the washing chamber for said supporting rack and for limited movement through the access opening,

(b) said rack being split into a plurality of sections,

(c) a first of said rack sections being vertically fixed relative to said support means, and

(d) at least a second of said rack sections being vertically adjustable relative to said support means.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8, wherein said rack is split from front to rear into said plurality of said rack sections.

10. The combination set forth in claim 8, wherein:

(a) said rack is split into three sections including a left section, a center section, and a right section,

(b) said center section is said first section that is vertically fixed relative to said support means, and

(c) said left and right sections are vertically adjustable relative to said support means.

References Cited JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

